The hunt for a super-fast in-flight Internet

For passengers on-Board Wifi is now a Must. Airlines such as Etihad investigate a matter at super-fast Connections. You expect more than additional revenue.

Slowly but surely, Internet on Board, to the basic offering of an airline. Especially business customers demand on long-haul flights, almost like office work. After all time is money. You want to check in from the plane and sending E-Mails, Inquiries, or internal data.

Also in the Short-haul traffic Wifi is Standard. Lufthansa equips until next summer, all the Airbus A320 with Wifi. Their daughters, Austrian Airlines, and Swiss offer the Service also. They follow a Trend. Meanwhile, 43 percent of all pilots around the world are equipped with Wifi, so the Numbers of route happy.

13 Times faster than the fastest Wifi

The quality of the connection in the early years of the on-Board Wifi was sometimes moderately, it is now running better. The most expensive data package on Board the Lufthansa jet, for example, offers a speed of 15 megabits per second. That's enough for Streaming TV shows or Playlists or the connection with the company VPN.

But airlines are already working on their passengers to be able to a lot more to offer. Connections on the ground are the goal. Etihad Airways Engineering about currently testing a new System that is offers offer with 200 megabits per second up to 13 Times faster Internet than Lufthansa with their broadband Wifi currently. It was developed by the Gulf airline, together with the telecommunications provider You and the satellite operator Yahsat, which can adjust to the own satellite in a targeted manner.

Introduction 2019

The new System of Etihad Engineering uses at the same time, the frequency bands in Ka-Band and Ku-Band. "So, we benefit from the advantages of both systems," says Bernhard Randerath, is the technology division of Gulf airline in the Engineering, Design and Innovation. First Experiments on Board a specially converted Test-Airbus-A320 to be very promising. "We have already come to 67 megabits per second." Randerath expects a market launch in 2019.

Better on-Board Internet is not only a service that is expected of passengers is increasing. It is also an opportunity for airlines to generate additional revenue – not only about the Sale of fast data packets, but through personalized shopping deals, or the ability to buy Upgrades for the next flight or Transport to the destination point. Between 1 to 4 euros in addition, you can take as believe the experts of the consulting firm Roland Berger.

Independent of aircraft manufacturers

Etihad is also more than just a better on-Board Wifi. "We also test things such as built-in cabin intelligence. The use of the special A320 as a flying technology demonstrator, will allow it, in General, to test innovations in the simulated deployment of Crew, passenger and engineering through to Certification. "The concept makes us more independent of the major aircraft suppliers and gives us the possibility of certain developments aimed at our passenger – and technology needs," said Randerath.

You can see in the above image gallery images of the test aircraft of the Etihad.

Posted by Jack at .